NY Giants 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Ohio State WR lands with Big Blue in first round
By Zak Musso
The New York Giants are 1-2 through three games in 2023. The first three games have exposed holes on New York's roster on the offensive line, wide receiver, EDGE and linebacker rooms. Things need to change for the future, no doubt.
Big Blue general manager Joe Schoen will be busy in free agency this winter, but he has another avenue to help improve the roster once April arrives: the 2024 NFL Draft. Schoen is a scout at heart, and we know he prefers to build the majority of the roster through the draft. We don't know if Big Blue is a contender or pretender yet in 2023, but I know it's never too early for a mock draft. Here's our latest edition:
NY Giants first-round pick: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
I utilized the NFL Mock Draft Database simulator, which projected New York to have the No. 14 overall pick in next April's draft. Big Blue's first-round decision will likely come down to wide receiver or an offensive lineman.
Two wide receivers, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's Malik Nabers, went before New York's pick in this simulation, but Schoen would be thrilled to end up with Egbuka. Egbuka, a 6-1, 206-pounder (similar build to Ja'Marr Chase).
In his first season as a starter for the Buckeyes in 2022, Egbuka hauled in 74 CJ Stroud passes for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. Throughout his three-season college career, Egbuka is averaging 15.7 yards per reception. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. spoke highly of Egbuka in a recent episode of Monday Blitz.
" "If you go back to last season, in 15 of the last 17 games, he's had a catch of over 20 yards. He's Mr. Consistency. He's so reliable, so smooth. He's in the slot most of the time making clutch, third-down catches."
- Mel Kiper Jr.